These CPD activities, developed by Professor Anne Harriss, are designed to accompany this article by Charlotte E Hall on exploring the experiences of, and lessons from, working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic.
They should help occupational health professionals understand more what the challenges are here from a health and wellbeing/OH perspective, ways to respond, and resources they can turn to.
Activity 1
McKinsey & Company, the American management consultancy, provides professional services to various organisations, including corporations and governments.
Its report, The Future of Work after COVID-19, is the first of three reports examining aspects of the post-pandemic economy.
Read the McKinsey report, or its executive summary, and reflect on what is incorporated within it. How does what is included within this report resonate with your own experiences?
The executive summary of this report is available on the link below. (Note: you may need register with McKinsey, at no fee, to access this resource.) https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/the-future-of-work-after-covid-19#/
Activity 2
The conciliation service ACAS has several resources covering working from home. Access these resources which consider elements that managers should consider:
Wellbeing when working from home: health, safety and wellbeing https://www.acas.org.uk/health-safety-and-wellbeing-when-working-from-home
Managing staff who work from home: supporting and managing staff https://www.acas.org.uk/managing-staff-who-work-from-home
Home and hybrid working policies: creating or updating policies https://www.acas.org.uk/policies-for-home-and-hybrid-working
Home and hybrid working requests: asking to work from home https://www.acas.org.uk/requests-for-home-and-hybrid-working
Activity 3
Reflect on your experience of how the organisation you work for dealt with the Covid pandemic, particularly its approaches in the run-up to, then during, lockdown.
With the value of hindsight, and the information you have accessed in the activities above, was it well managed? If not, how might it have been better managed?
Activity 4
More CPD activities
CPD activities: Occupational health in police and fire and rescue services
Hall et al (2023) explore the relationship between home working during Covid-19 on mental health and productivity. Access this systematic review on the link below then reflect on the implications for your organisation.
Hall C E, Davidson L, Brooks S K, Greenberg N, Weston D (2023). The relationship between home working during COVID-19 and both mental health and productivity a systematic review . BMC Psychol 11, 188 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01221-3. Available from: https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-023-01221-3
Activity 5
The link below to the CIPD’s website explores factors associated with effective hybrid working. Consider how you might use this guidance in your practice, https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/guides/effective-hybrid-working/
Activity 6
Both the Health and Safety Executive and the Society of Occupational Medicine have produced resources considering working from home. Access these resources and reflect on their application to your workplace.
Managing homeworkers’ health and safety – A resource aimed at employees https://www.hse.gov.uk/home-working/employer/index.htm
Homeworking your health and safety – A resource aimed at employees: https://www.hse.gov.uk/home-working/worker/index.htm
Working with display screen equipment at home https://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/dse/home-working.htm
Society of Occupational Medicine – Home working and display screen equipment DSE during COVID-19 https://www.som.org.uk/Home_Working_and_DSE_during_COVID-19_factsheet.pdf
Activity 7
The following TED talks highlight factors to consider regarding hybrid working.
Mark Mortensen: Is remote work better than being in the office? It’s complicated https://www.ted.com/talks/mark_mortensen_is_remote_work_better_than_being_in_the_office_it_s_complicated?subtitle=en
Sarah Aviram: Does more freedom at work mean more fulfillment? https://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_aviram_does_more_freedom_at_work_mean_more_fulfillment_dec_2023?subtitle=en
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
